Wind turbines are rotating devices in the presence of wind and can be used for a variety of purposes. Direct mechanical work performed by wind turbines is applied in manufacturing, farming, and food production industries. Coupling a wind turbine to a generator or alternator provides a renewable source of electricity which does not require fossil fuels or excrete carbon byproducts. A recent surge in oil prices, a continuing trend of global warming due to carbon byproducts from fossil fuel usage, and depleting underground oil reserves have elevated the development for renewable energy to a forefront of energy research.
There are two general classes of wind turbines: horizontal and vertical axis turbines. Horizontal axis wind turbines have a rotational axis parallel to the ground. These turbines must be turned into the wind using a yaw device to obtain maximal torque. Vertical axis wind turbines have a rotational axis perpendicular to the ground, which is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 1,076,713, titled “Air or Water Motor”. The vertical axis wind turbines do not have yaw devices but can suffer problems associated with excessive rotational speeds and maintenance complexities.
Most wind turbines are supported by one or more bearing assemblies. These assemblies hold a wind turbine in place and allow its rotation while attempting to minimize operational friction of the wind turbine. Nevertheless, friction in a wind turbine is still a significant issue. Operational friction of a wind turbine can limit the useful force available for power generation and typically leads to reduced reliability, which renders the wind turbine at least somewhat ineffective for a durable, uninterrupted power generation.
An example of the industry's needs for reduction of friction is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 6,700,216, titled “Magnetically Levitated Windmill”, which discloses a turbine generating an electrical current with a set of electromagnets requiring power supplies. These electromagnets provide a magnetic levitation force which disengage physical contacts of support bearings to allow friction-free operation. However, the requirement to supply electrical power to the electromagnets reduce overall operational efficiency of power generation for power delivery, if a wind turbine adapts a design disclosed by this citied art. Furthermore, deactivation of at least some portions of an electromagnetic array due to any electrical or mechanical problems render the electromagnetic array not only inoperable but physically damaging to such a wind turbine design.
Therefore, it may be advantageous to devise a novel magnetically-levitated wind turbine, which exhibits a low to near-zero operational friction and a high level of durability. Therefore, a novel design for a magnetically-levitated wind turbine is presented herein, utilizing permanent magnetic male and female levitation supports (disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,501,922) which was also invented by the applicant of the present invention, Dr. Sanza Kazadi.